Cemetery Office Holiday SchedulePlease note that no burials can be made on Holy Days of Obligation and Sundays.

Cemetery News:

St. John of God / St. Mary’s Cemetery is installing
two cremation mausoleums. These will be the first
two mausoleums in our new “Cremation Garden” by
the big cross at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Jim Gilbert, cemetery contractor, is currently taking
requests for presale of the niches. Each niche will
hold two urns. The cost is $2,500 which covers the
opening, closing and lettering on the cover plate of
the niche. This special presale offer will be available
until January 1, 2015.

We hope to create a peaceful, garden atmosphere
to visit, pray and reflect with our beloved dead.
Future plans include building an internment shelter
and installing more cremation mausoleums.

A Reminder: Top dressing and seeding of graves
is done only twice a year, once in the spring and
once in the fall. This time period allows for sufficient
time for the ground to settle at burial sites and for
the grass to grow. We appreciate your patience and
cooperation. Thank you.

Please be advised that St. John of God Cemeteries, St. Mark & St. Mary, will be closed during
inclement weather. For your safety, please do not attempt to visit either cemetery when the
weather is bad. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

CONCERNING FLAG HOLDERS FOR DECEASED VETERANS
In the past the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States - Vesle Post 418 has been supplying
flag holders and flags for all the veterans that have passed away in both our cemeteries, St. Mark
and St. Mary.

Unfortunately, beginning January 1, 2008, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States - Vesle
Post 418 will only be able to supply the families of the veterans a flag holder once. At the time
of death the veteran will have a flag holder placed at the grave site. If the flag holder is
damaged, deteriorated, or stolen the Vesle Post 418 will not replace it as has been done in the past.

The family of the veteran is asked to take the flag holder home at the end of the season and return it
shortly before Memorial Day so that a flag can be placed by volunteers of the Vesle Post 418.

FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE CEMETERY
In further review of the financial stability of the St. John of God Parish Cemeteries - St. Mark and St. Mary,
a thorough review of the outstanding balances on preneed grave purchases has been made. Currently the
cemeteries jointly are owed approximately $45,000.00 with the majority owed from grave sales at St. Mark
Cemetery. Because the cemeteries are in no position to be owed that amount of money and upon the
recommendation of the Diocese, the St. John of God Parish Cemeteries will no longer take payments on
pre-need grave sales beginning January 1, 2007. If you wish to purchase graves on a pre-need or at-need
basis, they will be treated the same with the balance paid in full at the time of selection. All contracts that
are currently established will not be effected, just those established on January 1, 2007 and after.

ST. MARK CEMETERY
On June 1, 1919, St. Mark Parish was able to purchase 22 acres of property for their cemetery. The ground was mostly brush, wild trees, gulleys and little valleys. Parishioners got together and by horse-drawn wagons, and later by trucks, picks and shovels, cleared and hauled in fill to level off much of the sections. The original entrance was from Ewing Road and the gates still remain. Roadways of slag and stone were eventually made as the first plans were made.

As the cemetery developed down through the years, burials increased, more equipment had to be purchased and a building had to be built. There was an old barn on the property when they purchased it and that served as the original storage building.

Soon it was becoming evident that a Chapel was needed due to the fact that there were several injuries resulting from persons tripping over grave stones, the inaccessibility often times in winter and ankle deep mud in spring thaw. On June 1, 1982 construction of a Reception Chapel began. The Reception Chapel was blessed on May 30, 1983 with a mass celebrated by Bishop Vincent M. Leonard.

ST. MARY CEMETERY
St. Mary Cemetery began in 1857 on Chartiers Creek Road. Due to constant flooding, property was purchased further away, on Middletown Road, and the cemetery was moved. Blessing for the newly moved cemetery were held on November 12, 1893.